Tales From Seal Beach: Consider the Following
by Xazz
Summary: "I'm Robert de Sable," and he offered his hand. He had a shiny golden watch on his right hand. Altair shook it. "I'm with Abstrego Industries." "The people who make baby formula," Altair said. "Among other things," he agreed. -oneshot-


Takes place between Jolly and Roger and Pampering.

* * *

After spending most of the day down at their spot Altair walked back down to the pier with Desmond. They's ordered pizza for the group (well the group had ordered pizza) and as Altair was probably the most responsible not to mention wasn't out in the surf all the time. So he and his brother were going to wait at the playground for the pizza. It wasn't a big playground with only four swings and small jungle gym and a slide or two on sand and bordered by a low wall next to the parking lot and a stones-throw from the pier itself. Desmond pulled him over to the swings _immediately _and Altair pushed him.

"Hey Altair," his brother called as he swung back and forth and back and forth.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Can I jump?"

"No you may not," Altair said sternly, "You don't know how to land and I don't want to make a trip to the hospital."

"Okay," at least that was easy. "I wanna go on the jungle gym," and Altair stopped pushing him so he swung to a halt. Once the swing had slowed enough Desmond jumped off and raced to the jungle gym.

"I'll be right here," Altair called to his brother, Desmond waved back at him, he saw, and he sat on the concrete wall. That might have been a mistake as it was blazing hot to the touch. He pulled off his shirt and sat on it to have an extra layer between his skin and the hot concrete and watched his brother climb up to the top of the jungle gym and slide down the slide and then climbed back up.

Someone came and stood next to him. He assumed it was a parent and said nothing to them. He did glance at them though. They wore a suit, pale gray with a red tie and a dark shirt. Altair felt bad for them. He was sweating his ass off, and he was only wearing flip flops and his board shorts, he could only imagine how hot they had to be. They said nothing and selfconciously Altair checked his phone, hoping the pizza guy would call but knowing it was too soon.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when the man cleared his throat. At the very least he fumbled his phone and damn wasn't that embarrassing. "You're Altair Miles, aren't you?" the man asked.

Now he turned to the man properly. He was… huge. Tallest guy he'd ever seen, even bigger then Sam, and Sam was a huuuuge bitch. His head was shaved bald and he had pale blue eyes and a wide mouth that seemed too big for his face. "Uh, yeah," he said awkwardly, feeling terribly underdressed next to the man in the suit, as he was pretty much naked. Somehow that didn't occur to him till the man was looking at him and he felt a wave of revulsion slide down his spine and wanted to put on more clothes.

"I'm Robert de Sable," and he offered his hand. He had a shiny golden watch on his right hand. Altair shook it. "I'm with Abstergo Industries."

"The people who make baby formula," Altair said.

Robert smiled. It wasn't a very nice smile. If Altair normally distrusted adults he distrusted this one even more. There was something about him he didn't like, something that was just under his skin like an itch, "Among other things," he agreed and Altair eyed him. "I assume you got our letter?"

"Yes, I did. I didn't know they'd do a follow up."

"Ah, well, you see Altair— may I call you Altair?"

"No, you may not," Altair said in the same tone he took with his brother when he was doing something Altair didn't like and he was about to get either time-out or a spanking.

"Mr. Miles then," Robert said in a pleasant tone. "We at Abstergo believe in a more hands on approach when it comes to children. Our motto is that we want what is best, for the best children, and we will go to unusual and unconventional lengths to ensure that those children are taken well care of. That includes house calls."

"Yeah, well, this isn't my house," Altair told him, putting on a complacent smile that adults liked to see in people his age. It made them think they didn't understand what was going on, or that they were buying what they were selling. Altair was doing neither.

"No," he agreed, "but, we're a civilian company. We don't have access to the military base, unless you'd be willing to invite us and we could continue this talk later?"

"I don't think that will be possible. School just stated, and I'm really busy."

"Of course," Robert nodded slowly. "Did you give our proposal any thought?"

"Haven't thought about it since I got the letter," he admitted. It had honestly just slipped his mind. He'd other things on his mind and he hadn't been so keen on the idea anyway.

"Hmm," Robert nodded slowly, "Well, we would really appreciate it if you did," and he leaned down and opened a brief case by his feet. "It's never too early to think about your brother's future, and Abstergo wants to make it as bright and fulfilling as possible," and he pulled out several brochures. He closed the case again and handed them to Altair who took them silently.

"I'll give it a thought," he said.

"Please do," Robert smiled at him, one of those ugly ones that made Altair dislike him.

"I'll have to talk about it with my parents though," and was interested when Robert's face seemed to freeze and become tight.

"Of course," he said without pause, his face now looking very strange. Altair gave him a smile.

"Good day Mr. Sable," Altair said with as much hidden cynicism he could muster.

"Mr. Miles," he said tightly and picked up his brief case and walked away. Altair watched him go and get into the passenger side of a black luxury car, one with tinted windows, that was idling by the curb. Altair narrowed his eyes slightly at it as it drove away.

Then his phone rang. "Hello?" he asked, it was an unknown number.

"Yeah this is the driver from-

"Oh right, where are you? We're waiting by the playground at the pier."

"I can see the playground from here," the driver said and Altair looked around and as he heard the door open on the phone he saw someone get out of their beach cruiser for a car.

"I see you," and he waved till the driver spotted him and hung up. "Desmond," he called, standing, "Pizza," and his brother slid down the slide and ran over to him. "Hungry?"

"Yeah!" Desmond cried, throwing his arms up.

"Good," and he took Desmond's hand as they walked off the playground. Altair threw the brochures away in the trash as they went to go get the pizza.

—

Cursing a bit more then was probably appropriate for the current situation Altair glared at his phone, it was ringing on the bedside table. "Stop," he told Malik.

"What?" the other boy gasped, surprised into stopping. "You're seriously going to answer your phone during the middle of sex? Really?"

"Yes," Altair said, sending him a look, "It's my dad."

"Oh. Well that changes things," Malik said as the phone continued to ring. Then it stopped when it went to voice mail but started right back up again. As Altair reached out and grabbed his phone Malik unhooked his leg from his shoulder and rested his hands on his naked hips.

"Hello?" Altair asked once he had the phone to his ear and wiped a bit of sweat off his brow.

"Why did it take you so long to answer?" was the first thing out of William's mouth.

"Hey to you too dad," Altair grumbled. "I was busy," and he looked at Malik who gave him a cheeky grin and leaned down to kiss his chest and collar bone.

"Always pick up on the first call Altair, I've told you that," William said firmly.

"Sorry, sorry," he said and shifted a little when Malik, the fucking distraction that he was, ran his tongue along his collar bone. "I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough okay?"

"Okay," William said and sounded calmer now, not so panicked now, though why would his dad be panicked he didn't know. "You're all right?"

"Peachy," and he brushed his fingers through Malik's fringe and the other boy grinned at him deviously.

"And Desmond?"

"Sleeping. Is there a reason for this other then a check up? I thought you could only make calls off the ship if it was important."

"You're sure he's sleeping?"

"Dad, it's ten thirty, his bed time is seven forty-five. Yes, I'm sure," he huffed a little. Not like Altair didn't know Desmond's schedule front to back and upside down. William didn't.

"Go check on him."

Altair sighed, "Why? He's sleeping."

"Altair," William said sternly.

Altair pressed his head back into his pillow, he rubbed his face, "Is it important?"

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes skyward, "Fine," he grumbled and pushed Malik off, "I'll go check on him," and Malik just gave him this _look_, like he couldn't believe Altair was actually getting up from bed right now. But he pulled out and sat back as Altair sat up and rolled out of bed and found a pair of underwear, he wasn't sure who's it was. He motioned to Malik that he'd be right back and then left the room to Malik's huff of displeasure and the creak of his bed and went down the hall to Desmond's room. "He's sleeping," he said once he opened the door to Desmond's green room.

"You see him?"

"Yes I see him. What the hell is this about?"

"Put your hands on him, make sure," William said.

"Okay," and Altair rolled his eyes and went into the bedroom and over to his brother. Desmond was sleeping facing the wall and Altair stood over him and reached down to gently stroke his cheek. "He's fine dad," he said softly. "Sleeping peacefully. And yes, I'm touching him, he's exactly where I left him a few hours ago."

William sighed with relief through the phone, "Oh good. I was worried."

"Worried?" Altair asked and left Desmond's room, "Worried about what?"

"Don't worry about it Altair," William said. "You're a good big brother, just keep doing that, let me worry about this."

"But worry about what?" Altair still didn't have an answer, not a real one at least.

"I'll be home in a few weeks, tell Desmond I love him," and then William hung up.

"God damnit," Altair swore as he entered his own bedroom, knowing better then to try and call his dad back. These calls were always one way.

"Something wrong?" Malik asked, still on his bed and still very naked.

"Just… my dad," and he stared down at his phone angrily and then just turned it off. Fuck his parents. Calling in the middle of the damn night, ask him to do stupid things and then hang up without telling him what the fuck _or_ that they loved him too. Just Desmond, their precious baby. He ground his teeth.

"Altair," Altair looked up, "Coming back to bed?" Malik asked him.

Altair looked back at his phone briefly before tossing it onto the dresser and walking back to the bed and tugged off the boxers he was wearing. Malik's boxers, Altair didn't like having his legs constrained by them and thus didn't own any. Malik really liked the fact that he wore briefs too. "Yes, I am," he said and crawled onto the bed and shoved Malik back onto the pillows.


End file.
